In May, something changed. I had watched Josiah work at the forge, heating the iron until it was red hot, then shaping it with precise strokes.
“Do you think I could try?” I asked suddenly.
He looked up in surprise. “Try what?”
“The work of forging. Hammering something.”
“Eleanor, it’s hot and it’s dangerous and—”
“—and I’ve never done anything physically demanding in my life because everyone thinks I’m too fragile, but maybe with your help I could.”
He looked at me for a long time, then nodded. “Good, now I’ll fix it safely.”
He placed my wheelchair next to the anvil, heated a small piece of iron until it was workable, placed it on the anvil, and then gave me a lighter hammer.
“Hit right there. Don’t worry about the force. Just feel the metal move.”
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